these are FABULOUS. I used to make miniatures when I was a kid, and now I'm wanting to get back into that.....my daughter is only 1, but once she's ready for dollhouses, it's on! I love the idea of using home dec remnants, it really did look like a regular size living room set at first glance.

Yikes, I haven't been on craftster since October??? Thanks for the recent comments everyone!

And to answer the question, the fabric is simply a cotton solid, like a broadcloth I think. It's a very super pale minty green, which helps give that undead palor. I don't treat the fabric in any way before painting. I use artist's acrylics in a tube, like Liquitex or Grumbacher, water to thin or make washes, and plain old artist's brushes. I prefer to use a water soluble marker to sketch the faces first, since I've found that using pencil tends to leave things "dirty" or doesn't hide well. I don't sketch or paint faces until the doll is stuffed. Personally I like to stuff my dolls very firm, so the surface is really smooth, taut, and has a rounded surface. I've read that some doll artists prefer a looser stuff and kind of smoosh the face into a flatter surface to paint. I've tried this and hated it. I felt like I was trying to paint a pillow and I got sloppy lines. I used to professionally paint pottery full time, so I am very used to painting surfaces that are three dimensional, like bowls and vases. I felt that I had more control over the brush when the surface is firm and doesn't have a lot of "give". But whatever works for you personally. I would just experiment and see what you like! Sometimes I keep a scrap of the face fabric next to me to test the color and see if I like it before putting it on the actual doll. The most intimidating thing about painting is that I've already spent so much time constructing and stuffing the doll, I always feel some anxiety when I start. There's only so much you can "correct" when painting the face. If you have any unfinished dolls that you want to experiment on, I say go for it. Or just do what I did, just start painting and pray it works out. lol!

Thanks! I was having an insecure artist moment, and stared at them with blank faces for a week or two. It's a little unnerving to paint something you've already sewed and completed. There's not a huge margin for error, and I was worried I'd hate how they turned out. I was going to chicken out and do embroidery and buttons instead, but I"m so glad I got brave and painted them. I'm very happy with how they turned out.

I'll have to get some full size pics of these later, but I'm too excited to share them now. Here are my dolls I made from my own pattern. I have zombies with hand painted faces with acrylics on the left, and Frankenstein's brides on the right with embroidered faces. The zombies have felt hair and the brides have corduroy with rick rack. Thanks for looking!

Maybe try looking up patterns for Santa dolls? I saw a pattern a while ago for one and it had a very bell shaped torso, and you folded the bottom into a dart to make a "gut". I'll see if I can find a link.

I know this is an old thread, but I figured I"d reply...I'm not sure what part you want help on. All I can guess is that when I look at the eyes, and pretend the face is like a face of a clock.... the left eye is at 9:00 and the right eye is at 2:00 instead of 3:00. It looks cute to me, because it's kind of wonky and I like it, but I"m sure it's making it hard to continue your design. Sugar skull faces are usually somewhat symmetrical, what you do to one side is mirrored on the other. Having that eye slightly off is probably frustrating you because you can't fit the designs in the same negative space. (Negative space meaning the empty space between the shapes). I would either move the eye down, or just go with it and make it more of a whimsical design.

Yikes, how did I not reply to this, thank you everyone! I actually added some more to it, I realized I forgot their whiskers, lol, and I added a few fur details and fixed the horizon line, it was bugging me. I do need to get sketching for the next painting for my son, I think I'm thinking too hard, and I need to stop thinking and start doing! I'm leaning towards rabbits. I was considering foxes, but when I looked up photos of them I wasn't as inspired as I thought I would be. Of course he wants a tractor in it, but I'm not sure if I want to paint that, so I'll most likely do something else.

That's a good idea, I didn't even think of that. Thanks! I should look into getting them printed. I've been toying with the idea of getting into consignment, and I was considering getting prints of this in clear sleeves. Note cards are a nice idea too.